----------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION establishing a task force to study the
10 accessibility of personal records and information which are held in the
11 public domain and to determine the adequacy of current state law in
12 protecting the privacy of individual citizens.
13
14 WHEREAS, The state has a vital interest in having access to certain
15 personal information about individual citizens in order to carry out the
16 necessary functions of government; and
17 WHEREAS, The state has an obligation to assure individuals that in-
18 formation gathered and held by the state through one of its agencies will
19 only be used for intended and lawful purposes; and
20 WHEREAS, The growing use of computers to access information held
21 in the public domain through the Internet has raised questions of confi-
22 dentiality and privacy: Now, therefore,
23 Be it resolved by the Senate of the State of Kansas, the House of Rep-
24 resentatives concurring therein: That a task force be established to study
25 the extent to which personal information is gathered and maintained in
26 the public domain, the accessibility and availability of such information
27 to the public, the extent to which such information should be confidential
28 and not subject to disclosure except for expressly intended purposes, the
29 adequacy of current laws and regulations in protecting the privacy of
30 individual citizens by limiting access to such information; and recom-
31 mendations for legislative and regulatory changes to address the problem;
32 and
33 Be it further resolved: That a task force be formed consisting of nine
34 members, three appointed by the governor, two appointed by the presi-
35 dent of the senate, one appointed by the minority leader of the senate,
36 two appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one
37 appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives. The
38 governor shall select one member to serve as chairperson; and
39 Be it further resolved: That the task force shall submit its report and
40 recommendations to the governor and the legislature on or before January
41 12, 1998.